Imitation filaments, ropes, yarns, and the like



Jan. 13, H. WURZBURGER 2,434,533

IMITATION FILAMENTS, ROPES, YARNS, AND THE LIKE Filed May -24, 1945INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1948 AND THE Hugo Wunburger, NewYork, N. Y.,

assignor to Paul D. Wurzburger, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application May24, 1945, Serial No. 595,642

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to individual filaments of synthetic organicplastic material and so configured as to aiford a desired flexibility inuse and further so as to simulate the appearance of ordinary spun ortwisted textile filaments, cords or ropes.

As such, the present invention is a continuation in part of my prior andcopending application, Serial No. 556,003, filed September 27, 1944, forFilaments and imitation fabrics formed therefrom.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide filaments ofthe type generally set forth hereinabove each of which may be formed assingle filaments as distinguished from filaments built up from aplurality of individual filaments, and wherein provision is made to impart increased flexibility to the single filaments of the presentinvention so that the fact that they are made as a single filament asdistinguished from a bundle of such filaments will not cause them to beunduly rigid or stiif and will permit their use in many places where asingle filament of round or other cross-sectional shape would not befeasible. At the same time, the filaments of the present invention havetheir strength substantially unimpaired by the provisions which impartthe increased flexibility thereto; and in certain instances. suchstrength may be increased.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a singlefilament with an exterior conformation such as to simulate threads.yarns,

cords or ropes made up of a plurality of filaments spun, twisted orotherwise assembled together, so that from the point of view of outwardappearance. the filament of the present invention closely resembles suchprior art articles.

Further and more specific objects of the present invention include theprovision of a plurality of grooves which are preferably, but notnecessarily, arranged in helical form around the fi ament and whereineach of the grooves extends at least one-third the way around the axis01 the filament, so as to increase the flexibility thereof. the groovesextending at a substantial angle to the axis of the filament. A furtherobject of the present invention is to provide a filament with groovestherein as aforesaid, such as may be made by passing the filament, whilethe material thereof is soft and deformable, between a pair of rollshaving shaped filament-contacting surfaces such as to form in thefilament the grooves as aforesaid.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a filament withgrooves of two types, one

type of which is a part or complete helical groove or grooves and theother group of grooves extend substantially longitudinally. Thisfilament close- 1y resembles in outward appearance the usual pluralstranded rope or cord, wherein each strand is formed of twistedfilaments or groups thereof. A further object in this connection is toform in a filament 'while the material thereof is still soft, one ormore helical grooves extending from end to end of the filament bysuitable apparatus which may be employed in conjunction with theapparatus by which the filament itself is formed.

Other and more detailed objects of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following specification and appended claims, when takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and a transversesection (on the line 2-2 of Fig. showing a filament having substantiallyhelical grooves on two diametrically opposite sides thereof;

Figs, 3 and 4 are similar views (Fig. 4 being a transverse section onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3) showing a filament having a plurality ofcontinuous helical grooves formed therein;

Figs. 5 and 6 are a'similar pair of views (Fig. 6 being a transversesection on the line 6-5 of-Fig.

'5) illustrating a single filament formed to simulate a plural strandedrope or cord;

Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views (Fig. 8 being in transverse section onthe line 88 of Fig. 7) illustrating a filament formed to simulate a ropeor cord similar to that of Figs. 5 and 6, but such as may be formed inpart by a pair of shaping rolls between which the filament is passed;and

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views (Fig, 10 being a transverse section onthe line l0-l0 of Fig. 9) showing a filament with but two continuoushelical grooves extending deeply into the filament and from end to endthereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, afilament l which may be formed in any suitable manner, as by extruon ofsuitable organic plastic material through an orifice. following whichthe plastic material may be rigidified in any suitable way depending uon the characteristics thereof. For example, if a thermoplasticmaterial, such as a cellulose ter is used, the. rigidification may takeplace merely upon cooling, the material being extruded at a suitablyhigh temperature to have desired characteristics of plasticity. On theother hand. some materials, such as viscose, may be rigidified byextruding them into an acid bath, which serves to regenerate thecellulose as is usual in the viscose rayon process. The composition ofthe material of which the filaments of the present invention are to bemade forms per se no part of this invention, it being understood thatsuitable treatment will be had to eilect rigidification of the materialafter it has been formed to the desired shape.

A filament formed by extrusion through an orifice will have asubstantial uniform cross-section throughout its.length, although thatcross-section may be of different shapes, depending upon the shape ofthe orifice. The filament l is shown as a conventional round filamentsubiect, however, to the provision of further changes in the shapehereinafter described.

If a round or cylindrical filament were used as such, it would be foundto have substantial rigidity, depending both upon the characteristic ofthe material itself and upon the cross-sectional area. In order toafford a desired reduction in this rigidity, so as to make it possibleto use single filaments rather than groups thereof, there is provided inaccordance with this invention, a plurality of grooves formed in thefilament and extending a substantial distance thereinto. These grooves,which are shown at 2 and 3 (Figs. 1 and 2), are formed at a substantialangle to the longitudinal axis of the filament. In the present case theyare substantially helical, although it is contemplated that a pluralityof grooves at right angles to the axis might also be used. Each grooveextends as best shown in Fig. 2, an angular distance around the axisbetween /3 and /2 of the circumference. As shown, there are two seriesof grooves 2 and 3 on diametrically opposite sides of the filament,which is the preferred form; although it is contemplated that but onesuch series might be used and many, if not all, of the advantages of thepresent invention be attained.

It is contemplated that grooves as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be formedin a filament prior to the complete rigidification of the materialthereof by forming the filament between a pair of shaping rollers,arranged on substantial parshape of such grooves and the number thereof.In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a filament indicated generally at I and havingtwo sets or groups of grooves in it, one, a, set of helical grooves Iextending from end to end of the filament, and the other a set ofsubstantially longitudinal extendgrooves 9 in the portions between thehelical ,grooves 8. While with this form of the invention as with othersheretofore described and later to be described, the filament may be madein any suitable manner, it is contemplated that these grooves 8 may bemade in the same manner as described for forming the grooves 6 of Figs.3 and 4 and thereafter. the filament I may be formed by passing thefilament I through another shaped orifice ring aligned with theextrusion orifice and with the first named orifice ring which retates,but wherein the second orifice ring is formed with projections toprovide the grooves 9 and is not rotated during the extrusion of thematerial. It may, however, be desired to rotate this second orifice ringin the opposite direction from that of the rotation of the first one orin 1 in the same manner.

allel axes and bearin upon diametrically opposite portions of thefilament as it passes therebetween. The portions of these rollerscontacting with the filaments may be formed with suitably shaped raisedportions at suitable intervals to form the grooves shown at 2 and 3 inthe filament. This will, of course, necessitate there beingsubstantially plain or unshaped portions at the sides as shown at 4,wherein the filament will have a shape imparted to it by the orificethrough which it is passed in the forming thereof.

In Figs. 3 and 4 there is shown another form of the invention whereinthe filament generally indicated at 5 is also basically of circularcrosssection, but is provided with a plurality of substantially parallelcontinuous helical grooves 6,

all of the same pitch. This filament may be of the same or similar typesof material as those discussed above and may be formed, for example, byproviding in conjunction with the extrusion orifice, a shaping orificepreferably aligned with the extrusion orifice and rotated about theircommon axis continuously during the extrusion at a substantiallyconstant speed. Here it ill be understood that the ratio between thespeed of extrusion and the speed of rotation of the shaping orifice willdetermine the pitch of the groove 8, while the shape and number of theprotusions of such rotating shaping orifice will determine the the samedirection and at a different speed, so as to provide a second series ofgrooves as shown at 9 at an angle to the axis of the filament I. Allsuch shapes are to be considered within the purview. of this invention.The form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is intended to simulatea plural stranded rope or cord, wherein each strand is made by twistingor spinning a plurality of individual filaments or groups thereof.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 illustrates a filamenthaving plural helical rooves, which-are-individually somewhat similar tothe grooves 6 of Fig. 3, but wherein the diametrically opposite. sidesonly of the filament are grooved, so that it maybe formed in the mannerabove described for Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in this figure, there is afilament [0 having part helical grooves ii and i2,- similar respectivelyto the grooves 2 and 3 and which may be formed Intermediate these twogrooved portions are unformed or plain portions l3 similar respectivelyto the portions 4 described for Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 9 and 10, there is shown a filament ll having two helicalgrooves l5 and i6 each of which is quite deep in respect to thecross-section of the filament and both of which extend from end to endthereof. It is contemplated that this form of the invention may be madeby a method similar to that above described in connection with Figs. 3and 4, although a rotating die which might be used to form the helicalgrooves l5 and i6 must, in forming this type of a filament, be closelyadjacent to the extrusion orifice and careful control had of theviscosity or softness of the material at the time of the extrusion andformin While there is herein shown a number of different forms of thepresent invention and there have been set forth possible ways andapparatus for making such filaments, the present invention is directedspecifically to the filaments, per se,

rather than to the method of making them, so that any other method bywhich filaments of the present invention may be produced is to be con-.

5 cept by the scope of the appended claims, whic are to be construedvalidly as broadly as the state of the prior art permits.

I claim:

l. A single filament oi synthetic organic plastic material having ahelical groove formed in its outer surface and extending continuouslyfrom end to end of said filament with a. predetermined pitch, and aplurality of substantially longitudinally extending grooves formed insaid filament intermediate the several portions or said helical groove,all said grooves serving to impart flexibility to the filament in useand serving to simulate the appearance or a plural stranded rope.

2. A single filament in accordance with claim 1. wherein a plurality ofsubstantially parallel hell-- cal grooves are formed, each of the samepitch and all extending irom end to end of said filament, and whereinthe substantially longitudinally extending grooves are formed betweenadjacent turns of said helical grooves.

3. A solid, substantially round, flexible, monofilament of substantiallyhomogeneous synthetic organic plastic material for use as a textilefilament, having a plurality of open. substantially parallel groovestherein, which are outwardly exposed and devoid of undercuts, eachgroove extending at a substantial angle to the axis of the filament andextending at least about one-third of the way around the axis of thefilament, so that when the filament is formed into a fabric. the grooveswill impart flexibility thereto and will simulate the appearance or atwisted textile filament.

4. A filament in accordance with claim 3, having at least one of saidgrooves extending helically from end to end of said filament.

HUGO WURZBURGER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 Number Name Date 1,287,095Price Dec. 10. 1918 1,884,069 Mendel Oct. 25, 1932 2,110,371 RadfordMar. 8, 1938 2,379,881 Chamberlain July 10, 1945 25 1,752,636 Izumi Apr.1, 1930

